


Warped and Shattered

by Angelicat2



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Blood and Injury, Child Neglect, Feral Behavior, Flashbacks, Galra Keith (Voltron), Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) Whump, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Medical Experimentation, Muzzles, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Use, Scared Keith (Voltron), Scars, Shady shit goes down, Shiro (Voltron) Whump, Worried Shiro (Voltron), poor keith :(
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-10-27 02:04:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20752526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelicat2/pseuds/Angelicat2
Summary: When Shiro went to talk to Keith after the younger stole his car, he never actually got to see him. The younger was already removed from the place, for what doesn't make any sense to Shiro.Years later, he finds out why when he crash lands back to Earth. It involves the government and Keith's Galra side, leading to a whole bunch of problems as they fight in an intergalactic war. And Shiro can identify a lot with the other on his past.





	1. Finally Found

**Author's Note:**

> Lookie at that...another fic :D
> 
> Anyway...this idea came to me out of nowhere so I had to write it. Enjoy!

Shiro strolled into the juvie center. Marching up to the desk, he waited as the woman behind the counter shuffled some papers about. A long moment went by before she glanced at him, raising a brow in confusion.

“Oh, I’m Shiro,” he introduced himself sheepishly, “Uh...Takashi Shirogane.”

“Ah, I see,” she nodded before pulling out a paper and reading it really quick, “In for your car, I assume?”

“Yep,” Shiro popped the ‘p’ before nodding, sending her a gentle smile, “I saw my car out in the front.”

“Well, sign these and you can have it back,” she slid the paper to him, which he quickly signed and sent back, “Your keys are right here.”

“I…” Shiro picked them up before glancing at the woman, “I was wondering if I could talk to the guy who stole my car.”

“You can’t,” she frowned at him with a soft scowl.

“I’m not mad at him,” Shiro went on to explain, “I actually wanted to ask him something…”

“Sir, you can’t see him,” she shook her head, “He’s not here.”

“I...what?”

“Some other people picked him up hours ago,” she sent him an understanding look as he frowned at this, “Federal agents or something. The boy seemed like a nice kid, if not a big sulky and shy. That one must have gotten into a lot of trouble to be stuck wherever they took him.”

“Yeah,” Shiro stared down at the keys in his hand, “Thanks.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more,” the woman apologized. Shiro just smiled back at her before leaving. As soon as he got to his car, he pressed his hand to his brow. It didn’t make any sense. The younger hadn’t done anything wrong as far as he knew. Stealing his car wasn’t a federal offense. The Garrison was not part of the government, although it did work with it. The other - Keith - couldn’t have done anything bad enough for this. Shiro just wanted to asked him to meet him later for a hoverbike ride. Something didn’t feel right about this. Something was up.

He was going to find out what. Keith was only fifteen, probably misunderstood. Most people probably looked at him and saw a troublemaker...but he had the potential to be something great, something better than even Shiro himself. And he was a human being. Shiro felt like he had to get to the bottom of this.

…..

Shiro never does find out where Keith was at.

Everywhere he looked, he learned nothing. Almost all of his free time went to this, so much so that Adam was beginning to get a little mad at it. The first year passed, then the second. The closest he ever came was finding a shack in the middle of the desert, one that clearly had not been lived in for a decade if not more. One that had random devices laying around and maps everywhere. As best he could understand, it used to be Keith's father's home. He had tidied the place up, fixing the cracked windows and rusted door handle that no longer locked. By that point, Adam and he had broken up after his decision to go on a mission to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. And then the Kerberos mission happened, pulling him out of Earth for over a year. They were attacked and taken prisoner. Shiro was separated from the others, forced to fight for his life at every turn. He was hurt and branded and had his arm removed and replaced. He had been tortured and haunted and wounded.

But he had escaped somehow...only to land up in the Garrison’s hold, begging to them and cursing himself as they injected him with some type of sedative. He’s out before he can fully explain that they are making a huge mistake. They have to find Voltron! They had to get out of there before _they_ came to get it. 

And then he wakes up somewhere familiar. Somehow, he’s on the roof. On the Garrison roof. The sun has yet to rise as three voices whisper by him. He turns, seeing three teens who end up introducing themselves as Hunk, Lance, and Pidge. Pidge says about his computer broadcasting Voltron and asks about the rest of the crew. He doesn't have much to say except that aliens captured them.

As much as Shiro hates it, he needs these three cadets to find Voltron. So they sneak out, getting away. A machine Hunk rigs up leads them to some caves out into the desert just as the sun begins to set once again. Inside, symbols light up bright blue under Lance's touch, leading them to a mechanical blue lion who flies them into the darkening sky.

"Okay," Shiro frowns as he glances around, gripping the chair in front of him as the lion rattles, "We have to go before anyone finds us."

And just like that, the lion starts to free fall back to Earth. They all freak out, asking Lance where the heck is he going. The younger shouts back that the lion is the one flying them and that she said that they had to pick someone up before they could do anything. Shiro had no idea who they could be getting but he had no choice but to comply. In seconds, the lion appeared before an empty landscape, likely desert. There seemed to be nothing there but a screen showed up, allowing them to see the layout below.

"Oh my god!" Pidge shouted in awe, leaning forward to the screen, "Did the lion just hack the government's system? That's some serious stuff right there."

Sure enough. It did. The layout was for a building set into the ground, one that was hidden on purpose like this.

"Are we...uhhh…" Hunk laughed nervously as the lion lowered her jaw, "We're not going out there, are we? We can stay safe in here...this giant...cat machine thingie...oh man I don't feel safe in either…"

"Come on," Lance rolled his eyes before moving out of the pilot's seat, "The lion told me someone is here. Someone who...needs to get free? These pictures are hard to understand, but I know she wants us there."

"Okay. Okay," Hunk sighed before nodding, "But we sneak in and then leave."

"That we can do," Shiro answered back before walking up to a hidden door. This route didn't seem used at all, one of the older parts of the compound. Placing his hand to the door, he closed his eyes, feeling something spark inside. Before he could concentrate on the feeling, the door slid open as Pidge smirked.

"Hey, I was impressed by the lion's speed," the youngest shrugged, "Not the lion's work. I cracked that code in no time."

Shiro blinked before shaking his head, a small smile on his lips. Getting their attention, he started to sneak in. They chose routes that were abandoned, sometimes jumping at noises. Roughly ten minutes in, they came across an air vent that was pretty large.

"Blue wants us to go into there," Lance pointed forward at the wall, "Says the person is in there."

"We can use the vent," Pidge glanced around before narrowing his eyes, "Even Hunk will fit."

"Hey," Hunk scowled as he crossed his arms, "I do not want to be here right now. What if we get caught? What if they know we're here?"

"Well, we already got caught by the Garrison, so not much else we can mess up with," Lance shrugged before he blinked. Shiro moved to the vent, moving it away, "And there'd be an alarm by now if they knew."

"Guys!" Pidge glared as he pushed his glasses up, "Just get in here, idiots."

They listen, luckily, as all four crawl into the vent. Barely ten feet down the airway, they come across a vent. Peeking through the small spaces, Shiro takes in the room. 

From what he can see, it's a standard white room. Not much to it, just big enough for a few people to enter. The corner of a small something is peeking in the corner of his vision...a cot? There's a white blanket on it, so it must be. 

"Can we open this vent?" Pidge whispered softly in Shiro's ear, "It seems three times as thick as the other one."

"Why would it even need to be?" Hunk frowned before he gulped, "What if whatever is in there is dangerous? What if it kills us? What if the lion brought us to our death! I don't want to die, guys!"

"We're not going to die, you big gassy genius," Lance rolled his eyes before tapping on the vent, "But this is stuck on good."

"Let me try," Hunk spoke up after a second with a sigh, likely knowing that they weren’t leaving without seeing what was inside, "I m-might be able to get it."

They backed up a bit before letting the teen press over the hatch. The younger tapped lightly on each corner before pausing on the right upper corner. A moment passed before he smacked the metal, popping it out of its hinge. Another three times brought the lid off as the guy grabbed it, preventing it from falling to the floor.

"Great job," Shiro praised him. The other smiled at him before glancing down, “Pidge, is there a camera in there?”

“Yeah,” he nodded his head before tapping some stuff on his phone, “But we’re good now. I put it on loop so we have a few minutes to be in and out.”

“Let’s get in there.”

And then they did, hopping down into the room. Like he thought, it was a white room, a little bigger than he had originally seen. The air smelled sterile like a hospital room and the lights were just as annoying as any Shiro had experienced, flickering just slightly. He could see out of some windows in there that showed a little bit of an equally blank hall. As he could see, the glass was thick too, most likely bulletproof. The sliding door was locked with more than one lock. 

Claw marks were gouged deep into the metal, leaving large dents. Some were on the walls, some on the door. They all looked older, as if someone repeatedly fought to get out of there. Just like what he had done in his cell, there were tally marks to the side, slashed into the metal at what Shiro guessed to be hundreds. Little drawings could also be seen with the scratches, a lot of them looking like lions. Some of them were actually really good, but Shiro felt cold at the implications of such art on the wall. 

“Uh...guys…”

Shiro turned around quickly, glancing at what he had thought was a cot. Hunk stood over the side of the bed, which clearly had a person on it. The older’s eyes widened as he stepped closer to the thing. Instantly, chills went up his spine.

He recognized that face. He knew it from the brief time he saw it.

“Keith?” Shiro blurted out before he could think. It was him. Keith looked about the same as when he had met him at his school. He was a little more grown, likely to be...nineteen now? Shiro wasn’t sure how long he himself was gone for, supposedly a full year. God, had Keith been here for three years? The younger’s hair was also longer, not well cared for. He looked paler than Shiro remembered him being, almost as white as the sheets covering him to his shoulders. The scariest part was that he looked dead.

Shiro knew he wasn’t, as the younger’s chest rose and fell at an even pace. But the ebony-haired man just stared right ahead at thin air, violet eyes glazed in a way that reminded Shiro of those he had seen in the gladiator pits...the ones who knew they’d never get away. The ones who knew there was no hope for them. The ones who gave into the torture, understanding that it was better to let their capturers have what they wanted instead of fighting. 

Fighting brought pain.

“How are we getting him out of here?” Pidge asked as he pulled on something. Shiro glanced over to see that a thick chain was bolted to the bed. The chain led all the way to the younger man who was _muzzled_ like an animal. Shiro didn’t know how he missed the slightly lighter-colored device strapped and locked to the other’s face. Glaring at the muzzle, he glanced around. Nothing would help them in here. Suddenly, Pidge gasped, "Fuck. I need to know why the fuck they're holding a _person_ here like this. No one should ever get this treatment."

"Find out what you can a-"

"Download it," Pidge nodded as he typed quickly, "Fuck...these bitches are going down. They can't do this."

"In the meantime," Shiro sighed as he glanced around at the bland room, "Hunk and Lance, find anything in here that looks like it's important. Paper, clothing, anything that seems remotely useful."

The two nodded before looking around. Shiro concentrated on the younger in the cot, watching as he laid there curled up just like he had been when they arrived. The muzzle covered about half of his face, preventing him from moving his mouth and going very far from the bed. Shiro could see that Keith was too thin, likely not given the food he needed. In fact…

The older glanced at Pidge and back to Keith. Shit…

Keith was just barely bigger than the other boy. He should have been larger than he was. He should have been Lance's size. But...he wasn’t. Shiro could tell he was underfed as he glanced him over again. His cheeks were a bit sunken, but not too bad. His shoulders looked small too as he hunched in on himself. Carefully, Shiro ran his finger over the other’s slim wrist that was peeking out of the blanket. Catching a small movement in the corner of his eye, he watched as Keith flinched at the touch. Other than that, he didn’t move at all, only staring still. 

Shiro felt the first flames of hope grow.

Keith wasn’t lost. He was in there somewhere. He must have just...went to sleep for awhile? Shiro knew the feeling. When you go on autopilot because it’s not worth being awake and aware. Gazing down at the other’s limbs, he tilted his head as he stared at the dark scars littered along the other’s wrists. The ragged scars looked like some type of rabid animal had shredded into them, tearing flesh in a wicked fashion.

“This is...this is bad,” Pidge glared at his screen, swiping left a few times, “There’s so many files here. They did experiments. _Experiments!_ There have to be at least a few dozen files here. _Years_ worth of files.”

“Oh no,” Shiro paled as something flared in the edge of his mind. He had...he had been subjected to experimentations too...with the Galra...Clenching his fist, pain flared through his brain. Crying out, he barely avoided crashing to the floor as the mess of static in his head blared to life. Intense heat sank into his right limb, making him almost scream. Biting on his tongue, he held on as someone stated something in the background. Breathing, the heat cooled into a dying ember as he finally opened his eyes that...he had closed at some point.

“How are you doing that!”

Shiro gazed at his arm. The mechanical hand was brightly lit in purple light, illuminating the already bright room, throwing shadows in violet. Stumbling back in shock, Shiro’s hand twitched, staying the same color. Almost tripping on empty air, Shiro reached out to save himself from collapsing. Metal beneath his hand sizzled as it burned, melting like hot butter. Yanking his hand out of the puddle, he gaped at the large hole in the bed post.

His handprint was scorched into the cooling metal.

“Holy shit,” Lance stated from behind him with wide eyes, paler than usual, “Dude. How?”

“I...I don’t know,” he panted before straightening up, “But I can use this to get Keith free.”

“Do it,” Pidge nodded before typing frantically.

Shiro held his hand to the chain. A long moment of hesitancy overcame him before he finally cut down on the linked metal. It gave just as easily, disconnecting from the muzzle. The older glanced at the thing before gently using his flesh hand to carefully brush Keith’s ebony hair away from the straps. Pressing his fingers to the metal, he yanked it away in time so that it didn’t burn into the younger’s flesh. 

Pulling the muzzle off as slowly as he could, he watched as Keith stayed perfectly still. Once the device was removed, he practically growled, crushing the metal which warped under his hand. Once done with it, he tossed it across the room, knocking the glass on the wall which cracked slightly, spider-webbing outward a little. Eyes narrowed, he blinked before gazing back at the younger...who was staring at him. He had yet to move at all, but his eyes were trained on the older with a sharp, aware gaze. Shiro shivered as he gazed at the other who stared back. On his cheek, right where the muzzle had been, was a large scar that carved from his jaw to just below his eye. Shiro winced as he touched his own scarred nose. Muzzles…

“We found nothing,” Lance groaned as he stepped near Shiro. The older watched as the black-haired man turned mistrustful eyes to Lance, the orbs hardening like diamonds on the other. A low sound rumbled around them, making all of them stop whatever they were doing. Shiro blinked as he stared at the other who had yet to speak. Lance raised a brow before taking a step closer. The sound only grew, something sharp and low.

Keith was growling.

Literally growling.

“Geez, is he actually rabid?” The younger asked with both hands raised, “He’s growling like a cat!”

“Lance,” Shiro warned as he watched the teen, “Don’t antagonize him.”

“I’m not,” the other rolled his eyes before pressing closer to the other on the bed. Keith pressed himself closer to the headboard before glaring at him, growling louder.

“Dude,” Hunk spoke this time, “Just stop. He’s scared.”

“Yeah,” Lance shrugged, “But we gotta get him out of here somehow soon. How do we do that if he’s gonna freak out the whole time?”

And then he walked closer yet. Keith’s glare sharpened even more as he gripped his blanket. Another second went by before the other seem to shift somehow.

“Lance!” Pidge screamed as he looked over at them, “Get away from him now!”

And then all hell broke loose.


	2. Taken Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Lance!” Pidge screamed as he looked over at them, “Get away from him now!”_
> 
> _And then all hell broke loose._
> 
> The team finds out Keith is not quite so human but they decide to break him out of the lab. Shiro gives them somewhere to go to recuperate for a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me enough time to update. I've been busy with college, but I've been itching to get another chapter out. Enjoy!

_“Lance!” Pidge screamed as he looked over at them, “Get away from him now!”_

_And then all hell broke loose._

Keith came alive. Fire burst to his eyes as he jumped straight for the younger teen who yelped in fright. Before his eyes, Shiro watched as the other’s fingernails grew into lethal claws and his teeth flashed brightly. Both slammed into the ground, rolling a time or two before coming to a stop. Keith hissed at the younger below him, eyes narrowed in anger and fear. Lance laid there as pale as the room around him as he stared up at the other who growled deeply. Shiro could see the exact moment the younger went to snap his teeth at Lance’s throat.

Rushing forward, he deactivated his arm before pressing his hand over the other’s mouth. Yanking the other to his chest, he was surprised at the strength that the younger held as he twisted and fought. Holding onto the other, he rolled them over to let Lance get out of there. The younger growled loudly before biting at his arm again. Through the metal, he could feel sharp fangs digging into his arm. At the same time, razor-sharp claws ripped into his flesh arm, making him wince as dull pain spiked in his left arm. When Keith noticed he wasn’t doing much damage, he began thrashing his arms around, hooking his claws into his side and scratching down. Shiro grunted at the impact before grabbing Keith’s hands in his, forcing his limbs to his chest.

“Le...me...g…” Shiro could hear the other hissing deeply under his breath, but he held on, too afraid that the younger would continue to attack if he did let him go. A moment passed before the younger all but collapsed into the older’s chest, going so still that Shiro almost had a heart attack. Quickly letting him go, he pressed his hand to the other who only growled once. Turning the other over, he watched as glowing golden eyes glared at him, irises the size of dots. Sharp fangs hung out of the younger’s mouth as he panted weakly, already out of energy. Sweat slid down his face, making him look even more fragile than before as he curled up, pressing his hands to his stomach. Once again, his eyes were beginning to look glazed like before.

“What the fuck!”

“What just happened!”

“Guys!” Pidge shouted, but Shiro didn’t bother looking away from the other staring at him in pained defeat, “I was trying to tell you! They brought him in because they think he’s an alien.”

“Oh, well, really!” Lance shouted as he held his forehead, which was bleeding slightly, “I never would have known! He tried taking my head off! He was going to kill me!”

“You bothered him!” Pidge scowled as Lance crossed his arms, “Lance! You don’t just do that! He’s already hurt enough! He doesn’t have any reason to trust us in the first place! And if you paid attention during class, you’d know that he’s probably drugged out of his senses right now! He didn’t even notice us here for at least a few minutes!”

“Guys!” Hunk interrupted as the two snapped their attention to him, “Can...we just get him out of here?”

“You want to take him with now!” Lance shouted incredulously, “Why? What happened to before?”

“He’s scared, Lance,” the teen scowled before pressing his finger into the other’s chest, “I’d bite and tackle someone too if they did the same. He’s probably disoriented and sick. He needs our help.”

“And we will,” Shiro spoke up as he slowly pressed his hand to the other’s back. Keith flinched deeply before glaring at him, eyes beginning to grow heavy with exhaustion as he pressed his head to the cold floor, “Hey, it’s okay, buddy. We’ll get you out...I know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

The other’s eyes narrowed as his teeth snapped at Shiro’s flesh hand. The older saw it coming as he pulled his limb away in time. The younger made some strange noise as his teeth bit into the air, one that was a mix of disappointment and confusion.

“I know you’re scared right now,” Shiro sighed softly as he watched the other, “And I know you’re angry. I...I get it. It’s scary. What they did wasn’t right. They shouldn’t have, but now, we’re offering a way out.”

Keith’s eyes snapped up to him, going soft as gold faded to white. Slowly before his eyes, the younger’s irises went from slits back to large oval orbs that told him he was listening. Shiro carefully pressed his hands back to the other who twitched a bit but didn’t move away.

“I tried finding you all those years ago,” Shiro sighed softly before frowning, “And I’m so sorry I didn’t get it done sooner. I can’t take back what happened, but I can help you get back on your feet. We have somewhere we are going, want to come with?”

A moment passed before the younger gazed at the other three. He must have seen that they were telling the truth because he nodded slowly, sitting up just enough to scoot forward. Shiro caught him as he finally gave into the exhaustion. Holding the other near, Shiro wrapped his arms around the younger’s shoulders and knees. Getting up without any problem, he blinked at the younger’s weight. He was also way too light. Purple eyes stared up at him with uncertainty swimming in their depths before they grew hazier than before, closing in a (hopefully) natural sleep. 

"We really need to get you two some better clothes," Pidge stated suddenly as he tapped something on his phone, "No offense, but you guys look like prisoners."

Shiro couldn't hold back his soft snort at the comment. Prisoners wasn't even the word to describe it. Holding the unconscious man closer, he nodded.

"I have somewhere we can go," he started for the vent, "Somewhere no one will find us. We'll gather our strength there and make a plan."

“Lead the way,” Pidge stated before he raised a brow, “Well...maybe not lead the way, but you can tell Lance when we get back to the lion.”

“Uhhh…” Lance interrupted them with pinched brows, “That might be a problem.”

“What! Why?”

“Blue is gett-”

The lights suddenly flickered before a loud noise echoed around the room. Alarms began going off as a mechanical voice began speaking out of the tiny microphones in the room.

“All labs in lockdown! Foreign entity located outside! Capture or destroy it! Repeat, all labs on lockdown!”

They all glanced at each other before the lab shook slightly. Bracing themselves, they glanced behind them to see that the door in the long hall was beginning to open. Intense fright hit Shiro as a memory slammed into his brain. A door was being open in front of him, and he couldn’t move at all and they had _weapons_ and they were going to _use_ them on him an-

“Shiro!” A shout pulled him out of his head. Gazing around as tiredness pulled on him, he saw that Pidge, Hunk, and Lance were already up into the vent. Hunk was leaning over with both arms stretched out, likely to grab Keith. Rushing forward, he held the younger up as the two larger teens pulled him up by his arms and legs. Keith stayed limp in their hold, not making a sound as they lifted him up. Just about to hop up there with the rest, Shiro flinched as something banged on the door. Whipping his head back, he caught a glimpse of someone who clearly was not a government official. They were standing there, with wide eyes as they stated something Shiro couldn’t hear. Other people actually dressed like officers came rushing up the door, attempting to unlock the door.

Shiro didn’t miss that syringe that the first person held, one that screamed that it was not sedative inside. From the looks - and Shiro knew he knew them from his time imprisoned by the Galra - this person was not a doctor. They had been ready to test a drug out on Keith just before the alarm went off. That’s why Blue let herself be seen.

Anger flared through Shiro, making him see red for a moment. Ignoring the other’s calls, he ran to the door, glaring at those outside of the room. They all shivered at his look, still trying to get in as the door’s light turned green. Shiro quickly let his hand light up with burning heat, pressing it right at the top of the door as it started to inch open. Metal melted and welded into a tough barrier, preventing the door from opening past a few inches. A shout sounded as an arm thrust at him, wicked needle coming for his side. Shiro twisted around before grabbing onto the wrist, getting a startled yelp from the other as the syringe fell onto the floor. Still holding onto the limb, he slid forward, kicking out at the person’s leg. The person fell down with a shout of pain before Shiro bolted for the vent. Snatching up the syringe, he sprinted for the opening. Jumping up, he gripped the metal edge before pulling himself up, seeing that the others were already leaving. 

It didn't take long to reach the lion, which let them in as soon as they were close enough despite the government agents shooting at them. As they took off for the sky, he quickly told Lance where to go, grabbing the seat as the lion dipped quickly. As the machine leveled out, it sped up to a speed that left the government agents in the dust. Flying into the heart of the desert, Shiro watched as a small cabin came into view. Glancing back, he saw that Hunk still had Keith in his hold, protecting him like something precious. Sending the younger a grateful smile, he looked out the window as they landed steadily on sandy dunes right in front. 

Stepping out, he held up his hand for the others to wait before activating his hand. Sneaking his way to the door of the shack, he glanced through the window of the cabin to see that nothing looked disturbed from when he was last there. The blanket was still folded up on the couch and the new table still looked...well, _new._ The board still had files and pictures up from when Shiro was trying to locate Keith. Opening it, he peeked around before going to the others.

“It’s fine,” Shiro blinked at the younger three who watched him back, “Let’s get in there. He needs to rest and get the drugs out of his system.”

“How…” Pidge glanced at the shack as they all moved closer, “How did you know about this place?”

“I found it when I was last on Earth,” Shiro shrugged as they got to the porch. He quickly wandered up to Hunk who carefully passed the other teen over to Shiro who smiled softly, “Thanks, Hunk.”

“No problem, man,” Hunk grinned sheepishly back, “I’m just glad we got him out, you know?”

“You and me both,” Shiro nodded before pushing the door back. Marching inside, he moved to the couch before slowly laying Keith onto it. Making sure the other was comfortable on the dark, lumpy surface, he pressed the blanket to his chin. The blanket was one for warmth, since Shiro had spent nights out in the desert and the shack sometimes got chilly. Staring at the younger, he almost didn’t hear the concerned gasps behind him.

Turning around, he saw the youngest three gazing at the board in shock.

“Holy shit,” Lance whispered under his breath as he pointed at a picture of Keith that Shiro had gotten from his file, “Dude...Shiro...why do you have this?”

“I told you,” Shiro sighed before walking to the board, glancing over the files and the map with bits of string and notes, “I was searching for Keith for years.”

“What...what happened?” Hunk asked with a hesitant look on his face, which turned sad as he glanced at the unconscious teen on the sofa.

“I don’t even know,” the oldest rubbed his face before sitting on the edge of the table, “I was at Keith’s school as a Garrison recruiter. I...I saw a kid who needed someone to believe in him. He was so great at the simulator. One of the best I had ever seen...maybe better than me.”

Shiro stared at a picture on the wall. It was one of when Keith was younger...possibly before his dad’s death. He looked like the most carefree six-year-old Shiro had ever seen, smiling happily. He didn’t even know why or how it was in his file. And that clearly had changed. Keith had to have lots of trauma within...just like Shiro did. His gaze shifted to his arm which he clenched angrily. It just wasn’t right what happened to either of them.

“But when I tried to talk to him,” Shiro deliberately skipped over him stealing his car. They didn’t need to know that detail, “He was already gone. Someone had picked him up, and it didn’t sit well with me…”

“So you looked into it,” Pidge glanced around at the files before reading something, “It says here that his mother is unknown. No family besides his father who…”

He didn’t finish, eyes getting shiny with tears. Something about that tugged on Shiro’s brain. 

“You okay, Pidge?” Lance asked, catching onto the youngest’s anguish.

“Yeah,” he nodded before moving his glasses out of the way and wiping his eyes, “It’s just...I can’t imagine not having family, you know? My dad and brother are both missing, but at least I had them until recently.”

“Your brother and father?” Shiro piped up, tilting his head.

“Yeah,” Pidge nodded before sighing, “They were the ones on the Kerberos mission with you.”

“Wait, your dad and brother are Sam and Matt Holt!” Lance exclaimed in surprise before Pidge glared at him, “Since when! Why is your last name Gunderson?”

“Because…” Pidge glanced down for a long moment before glancing back up with determined eyes. Shiro got deja vu at this golden orbs, “I lied. My name isn’t Pidge Gunderson.”

A flash went through his brain. Pidge...Matt...mentioned his sister was named Pidge...his nickname for her. And this Pidge looked just like Matt down to the glass-

“You’re…” Shiro gasped.

“Yep,” Pid...Katie agreed with a nod, “I’m actually a girl...My brother and dad were on that mission with you and I want to find them so I can bring them home. The Garrison lied! You’re proof that what they said wasn’t true, and if need be, I’m going to space to get them back!”

“And why did you disguise yourself?” Hunk wondered with furrowed brows, “Not that I mind...uh...whatever you want to be called now?”

“Well. I kind of...got banned from the Garrison as Katie Holt,” she winced before frowning, “I hacked Iverson’s computer. Got valuable information though, like the fact that the box on the ship didn’t get crushed like it should have if it crashed. And that you guys made it to Kerberos and were there for awhile. As for what I want to be called…”

She paused before moving her glasses slightly.

“Pidge,” she grinned before shrugging, “I like the name Pidge.”

“Alright,” Shiro nodded before bumping his flesh hand to her shoulder, “Pidge it is.”

“You need some new clothes,” the youngest stated after a moment, looking him over, “Not that I want to say anything bad about those clothes…”

“Hah,” Shiro shook his head before pulling at the dirty, smelly purple crop-top shirt on his chest, “You can say all you want about this. Not exactly the clothes of my choice.”

“There’s some here,” Hunk spoke up from the back of the room, pulling out a black set of folded clothes and another of white and red, “Black for Shiro because there is no way he’s fitting this pair. Sorry, man, no shaming here but…”

Shiro had to laugh.

“It’s fine,” he snickered before taking the clothes up, “There’s a bathroom just around that corner. I’m going to freshen up some and get dressed. After that, I’m going to watch Keith to make sure he doesn’t wake up alone.”

“I’m going to cook us something to eat,” Hunk nodded along with before disappearing into the small kitchen.

“And I’m going to broadcast these government files,” Pidge’s smile dropped quickly, “People deserve to know what they did. To a person, nonetheless. Alien or not, that’s horrible.”

“What do I do?” Lance asked with brows up, “I don’t see much I can do.”

“You can come with me,” Pidge grabbed his hand, leading him to the door, “I’m also sending out other things and I need your help.”

“Me! What! Why!”

“Because you’re the one who can communicate with the giant blue lion that I’m going to use to broadcast my info all around,” Pidge rolled her eyes before yanking him outside, “Just come on!”

And then it was quiet except for the occasional sound from the kitchen and Keith’s slow breathing. Glancing over the younger to make sure he’d be asleep for a while longer, he strolled to the bathroom before shutting the door. There was no lock, but he wasn’t worried about that as he quickly removed his gladiator outfit. He avoided looking at his own body. He didn’t want to see the scars littering his flesh like roads on a map. He didn’t want to even think about it.

Instead, he climbed into the tiny shower. Luckily, the water turned on, a little chilly as he dunked his head right under the spray. Keeping it there for a moment, he soon scrubbed at his sweat-clogged skin, ignoring the raised and ragged flesh under his fingers. The prosthetic seemed good even in that water which he supposed was a great thing considering the thing was attached to his arm in a way that he doubted could be removed safely, if ever. Dirty water cascaded off of his body, fleeing down the drain in a spiral. He didn’t feel clean, but he knew he needed to stop so Keith could have some water later. Who knows when the last time he had an actual shower that wasn’t forced on him…

Drying off, Shiro glanced at the clothes. He didn’t remember seeing clothes here last time, but he hadn’t looked through the whole shack by the time he left. The place just felt too private to do so. He had planned on getting Keith back before he did go. The clothing was mainly black and grey with small highlights of white and orange. There was a vest and an undershirt with long sleeves as well as black pants. The boots at his feet looked sturdy and comfortable. Pulling on the pants and boots, he stared at the shirt, knowing he’d need to remove the sleeve on the right. Gazing around, he didn’t see any scissors…

But something else attracted his attention. It was a blade, wrapped in old cloth that had seen better days. The dagger was sitting innocently on the counter’s edge behind some stuff he had never noticed before as if forgotten when someone was in a rush to leave. It didn’t look rusted at all and he took it up into his flesh hand, expecting it to be fairly light, only to be surprised when the blade was a bit heavier than expected. Blinking, he pressed the weapon into the fabric, watching in awe as it cut through the tough material like butter. In fact, it left such a clean-cut line that he knew it had to be a good knife.

Something sparkled under the wraps, making Shiro stare even longer. He didn’t feel right about removing the cloth, but he was curious. Peeling the yellow-stained away, he watched the shining orb of cool light between the handle and blade, with a symbol carved inside. It looked like half of a knight’s helmet, something eerily familiar in ways he couldn’t place. Ignoring the thought, he dressed the rest of the way before taking the blade back with him to the couch. Sitting on the table, he made sure that the younger was still asleep before looking over the board. More files would be added...Shiro had no idea what they did to the younger in that lab, but none of it could have been any good. If what he suspected had happened, had happened...Well, Keith had been with them for three years and some people were beyond cruel and corrupt…

Shiro knew that well from first-hand experience.

**Author's Note:**

> CLIFFHANGER HANGING FROM A CLIFF AND THAT'S WHY HE'S CALLED CLIFFHANGER!! (does anyone even know this song? XD)
> 
> Anyway, tell me what you think about this.


End file.
